That’s not the case with personalized pricing, which is made possible by the explosion of customer data available to firms. By offering financial aid to different groups, universities engage in personalized pricing for the purpose of creating a diverse student body. Data-driven personalized pricing merely automates that process, turning more and more transactions into miniature versions of going to a car dealership. Deaton argues that when it comes to pricing, economists are too focused on maximizing efficiency, without taking fairness into account. Yes, poor students who get a free ride thanks to financial aid benefit from personalized pricing.